World of Darkness
by Metronome I Hear
Summary: Harry Potter didn't know if he had great or horrible luck. All he does know is that the world would keep on moving no matter what he did. After all, it didn't stop when his friends threw him in Azkaban, or when London Burned in the Magic Vs. Muggle war, or even when he went back in time. Vampire!Strong!Dark!Harry Time Travel Slash and Het Pairings. M because I'm paranoid
1. Chapter 1

**03/20/15 EDIT: Spelling corrections. Took out Hadrian's age as it doesn't match up with events IRL.**

**...**

"Oh~? What do we have here?" The hat whispered making 11 year old Harry jump in his seat, "I'd never thought I'd see the first…"

_The first? _Harry thought at the hat._ What do you mean by that?_

"Nothing. You'll find out one day, young Lord. You'd make a good Slytherin, you know. How about I put you there?"

_No! Anywhere but Slytherin!_

"Are you sure? Slytherin would make you excel, help you become who you're meant to be. A mind like yours needs to be challenged, and Slytherin would do just that for you."

_Not Slytherin._ _Not Slytherin._ _Not Slytherin._ _Not Slytherin!_

"Alright, alright. Then if not Slytherin, it'd better be GRYFFINDOR!"

….

Voldemort fell and 17 year old Harry gripped the wand tighter. He couldn't believe it. He was dead. After so long, it was finally over. No more Basalics like in second year, no more falsely accused murderers like in third, no more triwizard cups like in fourth, no more umbridge like in fifth, no more damnable mysteries, secret order meetings, thoughts of another in his head, or being on the run. It was over. All over. Finally.

He smiled, feeling all the world relieved.

That is…. Until someone screamed.

"MURDERER!"

…..

Harry's eyes were half closed and a lazy smirk laid out on his features, "Hmmm~" he purred to thin air, as if he was speaking to someone no one else could see, "So they've been found~?"

He stood up, long strands of wavy black tangled hair falling in his face. He clasped his hands together, "I do suppose it's time to leave then…." He murmured.

He held his hands up and placed them on the wall, "_Adios… Azkaban._"

And with that, he disappeared from the island prison that had been his home for the last 4 years.

…

Humans were stupid, Harry decided. They destroyed what they didn't understand and worshipped what they didn't understand too. They were fools.

Harry light up a cigarette and blew smoke out into the air as he watched London burn. The bombs that muggles had dropped on Magical Britain had caused the wizards to retaliate with fiendfyre. Now the entire work was painted red and grey.

He leaned back, "Well it's not so bad, I suppose." He spoke out loud, "No one's here to bother me, after all…."

….

The world was dead, thought Harry. Most of the magicals were dead, the few that were still alive lived in fear. The creatures of the world had all hidden themselves from view, probably never to see the light of day again.

"Well… There goes my entertainment…" Harry mused as he watched the newest Prime Minister make a speech about finding the last of the 'devil incarnates' as Wizards and Witches were called.

…..

Harry wandered deeper into the tomb, absentmindedly wondering if the rumors of an ancient talisman were true. He kept a hand to the wall, his fingers ghosting over the cool wet stone of the temple. When the wall stopped, due to its opening up into a large room, Harry lowered his hand back to his side and walked over to the pedestal in the center of the open space. Upon the pedestal was a stone tablet with an inscription on it. It was placed upon a bed of bright red fabric, the same color as human blood.

"_Ye who desires might take this with no thought_," he read out loud, the old English rolling easily off his tongue, "_But be warned, the crown of the first is not taken lightly._"

Harry tilted his head to one side, "_Crown of the first. _First, huh…?" He smiled, picking up the tablet, "Show me this crown then…" he whispered, almost lovingly.

Pain started, his eyes widened, and the world went black.

…..

Harry leaned against the balcony of the French Hotel he was staying at. He still looked young, maybe 26, and looked far healthier than he had his entire life. He blew cigarette smoke into the air, taking the stick between his fingers as he gazed up at the night sky. How long had it been since he had last seen the light of day? Too long it had been.

"Master? Your meal is here." A maid said. Her eyes were blank, her body too stiff, and her skin almost plastic like. She was his creation, he thought, made of his blood. _How nice…._

"Is it? Hand it over." He held out a hand, the maid handed over the wine glass filled nearly to the brim with red liquid.

Harry brought the glass to his lips and tasted the sweet coppery taste of the drink. "Hmmm… 23 years, male, virgin?"

"Correct, Master." The maid responded.

Harry smiled at the glass, flashing a bit of fang as he did so, "First indeed…" he murmured before downing the rest.

…

Harry walked down the street at 2 in the morning, watching all the humans that surrounded him with hidden contempt. Cattle, the lot of them. They went about their lives without a care in the world, too absorbed in their phones and electronics to see anyone around them. Oh how the world had fallen. He licked his lips with a slightly forked tongue, ah well. That just meant it was easier for him to get food, didn't it?

He wandered over to a store, looking at the holograms displaying the goods sold in the store. He was contemplating heading inside to browse through the actual things sold when he heard a shout.

"Devil! Devil Spawn!"

That got people talking. They all stopped what they were doing to look at the poor tiny little girl who had just preformed accidental magic. One of the police who was stationed near by went over and grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled harshly, "You're coming with me." He hissed.

Harry watched the scene with half lidded eyes. The girl looked a bit like Hermione had once upon a time… He did nothing though, and walked into the store, ignoring the shouting that sounded behind him.

….

Harry flipped through a book he had recovered from one of the hidden sanctuaries the magical creatures of the world had built. This world was boring him so he was considering going back and creating a new time line to mess with. He smirked to himself.

This was going to be fun.

…..

Harry drew the last chalk lines and straightened himself to look at his handiwork. The complicated circle surrounded by white and black candles, some light and some not. The scent of freshly ground Herbs and dried spices filled the air. Harry walked to the center of the circle and closed his eyes, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He then opened his mouth and started speaking.

Slow chanting in a wide variety of different languages, he prayed to the gods of moon and earth and asked death and life for a path to where he wished to go. The lines of the circle started glowing and all the candles light themselves and flared, the flames turning bright blue and reaching heights of at least a foot. Then, as Harry spoke the last words, he opened his eyes to show blood red irises instead of his usual avada kedavra green and disappeared in a flash of light.

…..

Nearly two thousand years in the past, Harry, now Hadrian, wandered through the village, looking for someone to eat. He spotted a lone man in the middle of the road and easily snuck up on him, grabbing him from behind and sinking his teeth into the man's neck. The man let out a gasp and tried to scream, but quickly found that he had lost all strength in his legs. When Hadrian had had his fill, he let the man go and whipped the thin stream of blood from the corner of his lips.

…..

Hadrian faced the Hunters who had come to try and kill him. He tilted his head and watched them with an amused expression as they lifted their swords and charged at him. Hadrian simply walked towards them and past them. After he passed, the two Hunters froze and fell to the ground, cuts covering their bodies. Hadrian lifted up his hand and flexed his currently clawed fingers. He licked the blood absentmindedly and continued on his way, leaving the two bodies behind to bleed out in the street.

…..

Hadrian sat in a bar, head rested on the palm of his hand. He watched as a woman came closer to him, arms crossed under her breasts in an attempt to make them look bigger.

"Hey there, handsome. How 'bout you and I go to the back?"

Hadrian watched the woman for a moment, a disinterested look on his face. This seemed to make to woman nervous, but she smiled in relief when Hadrian smiled at her and said, "Sure."

….

Hadrian walked past the houses of the poor district of northern England. Just then, a child bumped into him. Hadrian looked down to see a 6 year old child with pure white hair and the prettiest silver eyes Hadrian had ever laid eyes on. The child was wearing rags and was out of breath, clearly having been running for a long while.

The child looked up at Hadrian with wide, panicked eyes and just as yells could be heard in the distance, fear entered them too.

"Mister! You gotta help me! Please!" he begged.

Hadrian tilted his head, a few loose strands of shoulder length wavy black hair falling into his eyes. "Help you?"

The child nodded franticly, "Yes! Please! Hide me! You can't let me be seen! I don't want to die yet!"

Tears started to stream down the child's cheeks and Hadrian smiled. He crouched down and cupped the child's cheeks with his hands. As he whipped the child's tears away with his thumbs he said softly, "Don't cry, little one. No one will find you."

The child looked at Hadrian with undisguised shock and a glimmer of hope, before being enveloped by Hadrian's arms. The street was then swarmed by people wielding torches and pitchforks.

"The Witch!" They screamed. "Kill the Witch!"

"Burn him!"

The child pressed his body closer to Hadrian's, shutting his eyes tightly as he listened. Then the voices faded, moving away from them. When it was quiet once more, the child opened his eyes to find the street empty of everyone except Hadrian and him.

He looked up at Hadrian with questioning eyes, wondering how they could not have been found when they had been standing in the middle of the street.

"Secret~" Hadrian said in response to the unasked question. Then he smiled cryptically, "Do you have a name, Snow Child?"

The boy nodded slowly, still staring at Hadrian with wide eyes.

"Then what is it?"

"S-slytherin, Sir. It's Salazar S-slytherin." The boy said hesitantly.

Hadrian's eyes widened and he smiled once more, laughing softly.

Salazar bristled a bit, "W-what? I know i-it's a w-weird name, but its m-my name a-alright!" he stuttered out.

Hadrian shook his head, "No. That's not it. I was just thinking that this world works in strange ways."

Salazar looked confused but didn't get the chance to respond as Hadrian stood and held out a hand to Salazar, "My name is Hadrian. Would you like to come with me, Snow Child?" He asked.

Salazar stared at the hand for a moment, then hesitantly took it, "Alright…" He murmured.

…

Hadrian watched as the child, now nearly a man, he had helped spoke with a redheaded man of the same age as his Snow Child.

"But wouldn't it be amazing? A safe place for the people of our kind." The redhead said, speaking with excitement in his voice.

Salazar nodded, all the while looking like the pure-blooded heir that Hadrian had raised the boy to be, "Yes. The idea does sound intriguing. A school, hmm? I like the idea. Do you have anyone else whom could help us with the project?"

The redhead nodded, "Yes. A noble from Rome I met a few weeks ago by the name of Rowena agreed to help me. As did my good friend Helga."

Salazar thought it over for a moment, "Good…" He said after a pause, "Well then, Godric, when shall we get started?"

Godric grinned, "As soon as possible."

…

The door shut behind the student and Salazar sank into his chair. Hadrian silently came up behind Salazar and put his hands on the man's shoulders, massaging the stiffness out of them.

"Snow Child?" He questioned softly, his breath tickling the white haired man's ear.

"Yes, Midnight Man?" He responded, as he usually did.

"Are you alright?"

"I always am, aren't I?"

"Hmmm." Hummed Hadrian as he lifted his hands and circled around to face Salazar from the front. He sat down on Salazar's lap, straddling the much younger man.

"That depends on who you ask." Hadrian breathed, his lips little more than an inch away from Salazar's own.

" 'm fine." Salazar said breathily, snaking his arms around Hadrian's shoulders.

Hadrian smiled and closed the gap, kissing Salazar who immediately deepened the kiss. Hadrian pulled away and kissed his way down Salazar's neck. He paused, as if asking for permission, and then, receiving no denial, sank his teeth into Salazar's neck.

Salazar gasped slightly, then relaxed into Hadrian's embrace.

Hadrian pulled away a moment later and rang his slightly forked tongue over the two holes where his fangs where.

Hadrian's gaze slid up to Salazar's face as he pulled back, standing up once more and started heading towards their quarters behind the office.

"Get some rest, alright?" Hadrian ruffled Salazar's long white hair as he passed the man by. Salazar glared at Hadrian with a slightly annoyed expression, before smiling slightly.

"Maybe."

….

Hadrian watched as Salazar sat next to his wife, the two of them smiling as they looked at Salazar's wife's swollen belly.

Hadrian smiled, "My Snow Child is growing up…." He murmured softly.

No one heard him.

…

Hadrian crouched next to Salazar. Salazar, who was wearing his emerald green battle robes and had a long silver sword in hand, had aged greatly. He lay on the ground, his silvery eyes staring up unseeingly at the sky without noticing Hadrian next to him. Fire burned around the two as Hadrian sighed and ran a hand through Salazar's hair, "Good bye, Snow Child."

When he got no response, Hadrian disappeared and left Salazar dead on the ground where he lay.

…

The rain poured down hard as Hadrian walked up the path to a mansion. It belonged to a rich family of humans and Harry absentmindedly wondered if they were happy living the way they did, not that it really mattered to him. He made his way up to the door and knocked. A butler answered and Hadrian smiled.

"Hello, sir. Would you kindly mind letting me in? The rain is pouring so hard and I can't seem to find a town nearby."

The butler bowed his head in understanding, "Ah, yes, of course. Do come inside. I'm sure the Master of the house wouldn't mind letting you stay the night.

Hadrian stepped inside, over the threshold and quickly lashed out a hand. The butler's head rolled across the floor as his body fell limply to the ground. Hadrian licked his fingers clean of blood.

"Now then… Time to get rid of the pests…" He muttered to himself.

…..

Hadrian sat up from bed and glanced around the empty room. How long had he stayed in this house? A hundred years? He got up and nicked his thumb on his fang. Allowing the blood to drip to the floor, a figure formed from the blood. An almost plastic like maid formed and bowed, "What can I get for you, Master?"

"Something to drink. I'll drink it outside." He responded as he slipped on a black silk robe and walked out onto the balcony.

"Of course, Master." The maid murmured before disappearing to get the meal. Hadrian sat down in a chair outside and looked up at the stars, wondering how long this was going to go on.

…..

Hadrian slit his wrist and held it in front of the woman's mouth. The blood dripped down and into her mouth. The first drop did nothing, neither did the second or the third. But then she reacted, suddenly moving and gripping his wrist, pressing his hungrily to her mouth

"Drink, my dear. Drink. By nightfall, you'll be right as rain again."

…

Hadrian watched as the first Vampire he created smiled at him.

"I do believe that it's time for me to go off on my own. Thank you… For everything." She said, tilting her head in a cute manor. She then turned around and started walking. It wasn't until he was at the very edge of Hadrian's vision that she disappeared with the soft crack of apparition.

…

Hadrian sat back in his seat as he watched the play below him. Even the commoners had gone silent as they listened with rapt attention to Shakespeare's words. Hadrian vaguely remembered reading a tiny bit of Shakespeare before he received his Hogwarts letter. He wondered when the play Hamlet would come out. That was the one play name he could remember from all those years ago.

…..

Hadrian collapsed on top of a woman. They were both out of breath and panting. The room they were in stunk of sex. He smiled devilishly at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Can you go again?" He whispered, one hand wandering down her hips and the other tracing the fang marks where he had bitten her.

"Depends… Do you have to take blood again for another round?"

"Maybe~" He purred.

She rolled her eyes again but nodded in consent.

…..

Hadrian sat in the balcony of an opera house as he waited for one of his 'children' to come to meet him. A man by the name of Christopher whom he had changed into a vampire on a whim long ago had apparently started a coven a few centuries back of Vampires and wanted to discuss something with him about it.

Christopher had dark grey eyes that turned red when he was hungry, just as all vampire's eyes did, and long dark brown hair. The man smiled at Hadrian and took the seat next to him.

"Master." Christopher greeted softly as the two listened to the singers on stage.

"Christopher." Hadrian nodded in return.

Christopher took a breath then started talking,

"I need your help."

…..

Hadrian laid back in his throne as he watched the various Vampires mingle below him. How he went from being the only Vampire in the world to having just one Childe to an entire society of them was beyond him, but it had happened and they had all named him King. It was tiresome at times, but it did help slave off boredom and fledgling Vampires who were vulnerable for the first few years after their transformation were much more likely to survive.

One of his descendants wandered up to him and smiled, "My King." The woman said.

"Delila, correct?" Hadrian guessed, tilting his head to one side.

Delila nodded, "Yes. That's me. I'm Alessandro's Childe."

"Interesting…. And tell me, how is Alessandro? I haven't seen him in quite a few years."

"He is doing well, my Lord."

…

Hadrian looked at the muggle newspaper and frowned as he saw the headlines.

ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FERDINAND: WAR BREAKS OUT!

So the First World War had finally started, hm? Then he was getting closer and closer to his own time…. He wondered how that would go. He remembered last time that the Vampires didn't do all that much, not many people were willing to approach them after all. Perhaps this time…?

…

Hadrian wandered through the streets on a cold December night. It was as he was walking that he heard someone collapse. He looked over to see a heavily pregnant woman being helped inside what looked to be an orphanage. He watched for a moment longer before his eyes widened.

_Of course… How could I forget? Today is the day Tom Riddle is born._

He smiled to himself, perhaps he could watch things play out.

…

Hadrian jumped up and, using a bit of magic, flew and hovered just outside Tom Riddle's bedroom window. He peeked inside to see the tiny 6 year old boy reading a book in candlelight. Hadrian tapped on the window and Tom looked up, clearly startled. Tom's eyes widened when he saw Hadrian, then narrowed.

He stood up and cautiously approached the window. When Hadrian didn't move, he opened the window and stared at Hadrian with a confused look on his face.

Hadrian smiled softly at Tom and leaned on the window cell, "Hello there, Little Riddle."


	2. Chapter 2

6 year old Tom Riddle was reading. The book was a good book, if not a little advanced for his age, and he was content in finding something even remotely intriguing within the dull grey walls of the orphanage.

Then he heard it_. Tap Tap_. He looked up towards the window, that where it was coming from after all, and was utterly shocked as to what was there.

A man, a very beautiful man at that, was outside his window. The man looked to be around 25 or 26, his skin was a pale paper white, and his face was framed by pitch black wavy hair that gave him a ruggedly handsome look. The most striking feature, however, was his eyes.

His eyes were like emeralds, a deep forest green that was so vibrant that it didn't deserve to be just labeled 'Green'. They almost glowed with power and held an amused yet almost predatory glint to them.

Tom, being the 6 year old child he was, was curious. So he set aside his book, making sure to mark his place (wouldn't do for him to lose his place and waste valuable time finding it again, now would it?), and got up cautiously to approach the window. The man didn't move, just watched Tom with his amused expression, so Tom opened the window. Cold night air swept into the room as the figure smiled at him and leaned on the window ledge.

"Hello there, Little Riddle." He said.

Tom frowned. How did the man know his name? As if the man wasn't strange enough, what with them being on the third floor and the man apparently _floating_, he got even more curious. Now Tom wanted to figure this out. He was sure this wasn't a dream, and he didn't think it was a hallucination either, so that meant this was real. Question was, just how was this real? There were so many questions he wanted answered but he couldn't pick one to start with so he settled with a simple, yet undeniably complex, question.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled again, the amused glint in his eyes growing, "Hmmm…. That is a question isn't it? You may call me Hadrian."

Tom watched the man, apparently Hadrian, a moment longer, chewing on the inside of his cheek, and was about to ask another question when the man spoke again.

"May I come in?"

Still slightly in a daze at the pure absurdity of the situation, Tom nodded and stepped back to allow the man room to hop over the widow edge and land gracefully on the floor. Once inside, Hadrian straightened himself and looked over at Tom. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to one side.

"Well?" Hadrian asked.

"What are you?" Was the first thing that left Tom's mouth, and he was soon inwardly cursing himself for his stupidity.

"What am I?" Hadrian raised an eyebrow at Tom, "That's the first question you ask?"

Tom frowned (It was not a pout, damn it!) and looked to one side, "Yes…"

Hadrian smiled and crouched down in front of Tom. He looked right into the boy's eyes and responded to Tom's question with a question.

"Little Riddle, do you believe in magic?"

Tom, not expecting the question, furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Magic? It defies all logic and yet…. Something tells me not to simply dismiss the possibility."

The man's eyes gleamed again. They had a proud look in them, as if Tom had answered in a way that was better than expected.

"What if I told you that there is an entire world out there that no one ever notices?"

Tom furrowed his eyes further, "I suppose that would be possible…."

"Tom."

"Yes?"

"Close your eyes."

Tom frowned and wanted to question why he should do such a thing, but something in the man's expression stopped him. So he closed his eyes.

He felt hands on both sides of his face and resisted the urge to pull away. A moment later and the hands retreated and the air around Tom felt colder than just a second ago.

"You can open your eyes now."

Tom opened his eyes and then felt them widen almost impossibly wide. He heard someone gasp, and vaguely knew that it was him, but he was much too focused on the scene before him. He was on a mountain top and could see outwards for miles. Snow surrounded him and topped every peak. There wasn't a cloud in the night sky and the stars shone brighter than anything Tom had ever seen in his entire life. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It couldn't possibly be real and yet it was. Someone put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Hadrian smiling down at him.

"Amazing isn't it?"

Tom nodded slowly, "It is."

The air felt cold on his tongue and he was starting to shiver. The snow had already numbed his feet and as he let out a breath it condensed into fog the moment it touched the air.

Tom looked out to the view again before asking, "Where are we?"

"Mount Everest."

"Everest?"

"Yes." The tone Hadrian used was amused.

Tom and Hadrian fell silent for a while, neither saying anything as they just looked out at the view and the never ending sky.

"Why me?" Tom asked the question that plagued his mind.

"Hm?"

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Why not?"

Tom looked up at Hadrian who had an odd expression on his face as he looked out across the landscape.

"What?" Tom asked.

"Why not show you? You have the talent to do things like this too. To go anywhere in the world with just a thought. To make things fly, to change their shape, to manipulate the elements, to bend reality to your will." Hadrian crouched down in front of Tom again, "This is Magic. The things I just listed, the things that I showed you, are only a small portion of what Magic can do. And you," Hadrian put a long finger on Tom's nose, "Can do all this and more. You're a Wizard, Little Riddle."

"A…. Wizard?" Tom scrunched up his nose in distaste at the name. It seemed so…. Childish. Unfitting for someone with so much power.

The ever amused Hadrian simply smiled, "Ah. A wizard."

"Will you…. Will you teach me?"

Hadrian's smile widened, "Perhaps…."

Tom frowned, "Perhaps?"

"Yes. Perhaps."

"What do you mean perhaps?"

"I mean what I said. Perhaps. Now then, shall we head back? You look like you're about to fall over from the cold."

It was true, Tom was shaking and shivering. As he was only wearing the pajamas that the orphanage gave out, the cold freezing air was sinking into his bones and the lack of oxygen from being up so high in the air was leaving him light headed. But something in Tom didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave behind such a beautiful place and wanted to stay and just watch the snow covered peaks and the stars inch their way across the sky. But he nodded anyways, in consent to go home.

Hadrian put a hand on Tom's shoulder. The world around them grew black, a kind of shadowy mist wrapping around them, and then when it cleared they were back in Tom's bedroom again.

"Tom?"

"Yes?"

"I'm leaving now."

Tom's head snapped up at Hadrian and he knew he must have looked panicked because Hadrian laughed a bit and ruffled his hair. Tom drew back, disliking being touched, and watched as Hadrian walked over to the window.

"I'll be back one day. You will see me again. I just don't know when that will be. Perhaps it will be soon. Perhaps it will be years from now. Just know this. I'll be watching."

Then the man turned into a flock of bats and flew out the window. Tom ran over to the window and leaned outside to watch the flock of bats fly off into the shadow of the moon.

When the man had disappeared, Tom went back over to his bed and collapsed down onto it. He closed his eyes and thought. He felt the sheets under his fingers and heard the quietness of the room, so different from the mountain top that Hadrian had showed him. His cheeks still stung from the cold and bits of melted snow still clung to his feet, already melted due to the much warmer temperature of his room.

"He'll be watching…" Murmured Tom as he rolled onto his side, "Magic, hm?"

That night Tom went to sleep dreaming of snow, stars, bats, and Hadrian's laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks passed by slowly for Tom. The days were boring and nothing exciting really happened. The other children of the orphanage went about their lives laughing, playing, and doing the things they always did. Tom continued to watch them as he thought about what he had been shown.

_I'm different from them._

He thought, a smile nearly making its way to his lips.

_I'm stronger than them._

And those thoughts churned over in his head and he slowly began to despise the other children of the orphanage. They were so _weak_. So content with the way things were. They were fine with the meager food they were given, with the clothing filled with holes that they wore, with the tiny amount of coins they gained and immediately lost to the small pleasures of chocolate and entertainment.

Tom was different, however. He wanted to go places. He refused to be tied down to this house and to the other children. He refused to be a nobody that blended into the crowd and was eventually lost to the sands of time, forgotten by everyone.

And so, he thought to himself, _how do I become strong?_

The answer came easily enough. Magic. It took Tom a while to find the power, but he found it after long hours of looking within him, calling out to it, searching for it. It was a strange warmth that almost glowed within him. Like fire and ice that was wild and constrained all at once, it hummed within him, twisting, churning, and responding to his emotions. Once he found it, it became a constant companion, humming just beneath his skin, a presence in the back of his mind.

He started to try and control it. He spread it out along his body and focused it along his fingertips. Coaxing it to follow his will as he tries to manipulate it into doing what he wanted. At first, he gleamed little success. Nothing happened even when the warmth roared within him. Nothing moved nor shifted nor was affected at all.

Tom often felt like he was pushing against a mountain to try and get things to happen. It just wouldn't work.

But he kept at it, practicing in his spare time away from the watchful, mistrusting eyes of the matrons and the ever curious children.

Eventually, though, it worked. He was able to move something without touching it. He moved on to other things, testing his abilities out. And the stronger he grew, the more annoyed with the orphanage he became. They were so ignorant. They treated him like he was beneath them, like he was a plague, so he lashed out.

The first time that one of the older children tried to take away his books, he willed them pain. It felt so right when the boy fell to the ground and screamed. Finally, _finally_, they were being showed their place. He was stronger than them, there was nothing that they could do to him.

So he hurt them. Whenever they tried something with them he would break their arm or leg or cause them pain. He'd burn them, scrape them, scratch them with his magic and soon, they began to become afraid.

They looked at him with fear in their eyes. _Devil child…_ they whispered when they thought he couldn't hear them.

But he ignored them, he didn't care what they said. After all, he was the one with power. He was the one Hadrian spoke too and showed that night sky on top of the snow peaked mountain. Hadrian chose him. _Him._

_._

Hadrian.

He hadn't seen the odd man since that night. He had seen signs of the man's presence though. Things left in places where he would find them. Someone he had never seen before coming up to him with a dazed look in their eyes to give him things or notes. There were even times that Tom could have sworn that he heard the man's laughter, ghosting on the edge of his hearing.

'_Good luck, Little Riddle' _The notes often read. And he kept them all. All the little pieces of parchment and the gifts that Hadrian sent his way he horded them and kept them hidden deep in his closet where no one would ever find them.

Hadrian became his obsession. _Where are you?_ He asked. _What are you?_ He wondered. _How can you possibly exist?_

Hadrian was his puzzle, his mystery. He chased shadows to search for the man to no avail. No one ever saw a man like Hadrian. He was a ghost, he didn't exist. And yet he was real.

_A little like magic_. Thought Tom.

But he continued his search. He continued to look for the man and searching out any sign of him.

_Hadrian... Where are you?_

And that was how his days passed until that day.

The day Dumbledore came and gave him his Letter.

_Finally…_

_._

_._

_._

It wasn't what he expected.

Hogwarts was infuriating. The Slytherins all treated him like dirt because of his last name. The rest of the castle had no trust in him because he was a Slytherin. It was frustrating, because _it wasn't supposed to be this way_. But he could handle this. He wasn't Tom Marvolo Riddle for nothing. He would just get stronger and prove them wrong.

So while he plotted, he smiled at them and studied. He put on his best mask and waited for the right time to strike.

He would do it.

He would be strong.

.

.

.

_Little Riddle is plotting something…._ Hadrian thought to himself as he watched the 11 year old. It had been 5 years since he had confronted little Tom, and he hadn't regretted it a moment. It was truly interesting to watch the boy work. He found his magic quickly enough, much faster than anyone else would have been able to. And the way he wielded it was masterful. He treated it as an extension of himself. As a part of himself. He didn't force it, rather he worked with it.

That was so unlike what most humans treated their magic as. Most wizards and witches seemed to think that magic was nothing more than a tool. But they could be more wrong. Magic was sentient, and it was so much more than simply a tool. It was a part of one's soul, a reflection of their will and their strength. That was what he had taught his Snow Child all those years ago that made him such a powerful Wizard. It was also what he taught all those who held magic that he turned.

But Riddle had found it out all on his own. He had figured it out with nothing more than a hint or two from him. It was amazing. No wonder the man had been so powerful before he went mad.

Hadrian smirked.

_Perhaps it is time to show myself to him again soon..._

**AN: Sorry for both the long wait and the short update. This story did. Not. Want. To. Be. Written... It was beyond frustrating and I'm certain that I messed up somewhere in here. Ah well... I'll try and do better next time... Thank You to all who reviewed! It was great inspiration and motivation to write when I got all the wonderful responses. And lol, yes I know many of you were expecting for Hadrian to take Tom out of the orphanage, but nope! That's not how this is going to go. At least not yet... Maybe... Possibly... xD haha, you'll just have to find out, won't you?**


	4. Chapter 4

Lord Malfoy's morning started off normal.

He got woke up, got dressed, and headed down to the dining hall for breakfast. He greeted his wife and ordered the house elf to go and fetch the food that he wanted. Breakfast was normal too, no more delicious or displeasing than it normally was. Everything was normal.

But then the owl came.

That was normal too, in a way. Owls came every morning after all, with the morning post and the various letters he and his wife received from the various other purebloods.

The letter the owl carried on the other hand...

That was different. And when Lord Malfoy read the letter his face drained of blood and he froze. His wife noticed his distress and asked what was wrong. In response, Lord Malfoy handed his wife the letter for her to read. When she read it, she paled as well.

.

_Dear Lord Malfoy,_

_You are hereby invited to the winter moon ball to be held at the Silverblood Manner in London, England on December 21st, 194X. You are welcome to bring your family. The dress is formal. Please note that while Vampires shall be in attendance, no live food shall be served. All people present shall be under the no violence laws in accordance of the Statue of Coexistence between Creatures and Wizards of 1500. I look forward to your attendance._

_Sincerely,_

_Hadrian_

_Crown of the First_

_King of the Vampires_

_._

Lord and Lady Malfoy looked over at one another and said at the same time one thing.

_"We need to contact Abraxas."_

.

.

.

At the same time that Lord and Lady Malfoy received their invitation to the Winter Moon Ball, Hogwarts was Sitting for breakfast in the Great Hall. The owls came down all at once to deliver the morning post, and Tom Marvolo Riddle wasn't expecting anything beyond the Daily Profit. That's why he was surprised when a regal looking snowy white owl landed in front of him and handed him a letter.

Tom retained a calm facade, even with the many curious stared of the slytherins that sat around him, as he took the letter and examined it. It was made from a rather regal, not to mention expensive, looking paper. The ink was a pretty golden color and it was indeed addressed to him. But none of that mattered once he noticed the handwriting that it was written in.

_Hadrian_...

Inside the envelope was two letters. He opened the first one and started reading.

.

_Dear Little Riddle,_

_Miss me, did you? You've been up to a great deal since that night I showed you magic, haven't you? I must congratulate you for that, you've improved far faster than anyone else would have. Do you remember what I said to you on that night? I said that you would see me again. The time has come for such a meeting to happen. I shall be hosting a ball in my manor soon, and that is where you will see me again. In the envelope should be another letter. That is an invitation to the ball. Show it to your head of house and he should be able to take you. I look forward to seeing you again, Little Riddle. It is bound to be an interesting experience._

_Your's truly,_

_Hadrian_

_The Midnight Man_

.

It was short enough and simple, and so much like Hadrian that Tom could almost hear the man's voice speaking the words aloud to him in his head. This was exactly what Tom had been waiting for, for what he had been searching for. Hadrian was calling him. He would get to see Hadrian again. After five long years of waiting.

_Finally_...

Tom quickly took the second letter and scanned it over to confirm that, indeed, it was an invitation to the Winter Moon Ball. How the invitation was signed made him raise an eyebrow.

_What are you?_ He had asked once. Now he thought to himself, _A Vampire?_

"What is that?"

Tom turned around to sit the blonde haired and pale eyed boy who sat next to him and smiled in a friendly way. He was a pureblood, albeit one who hadn't immediately dismissed him once he had learned his family name. Because of this, Tom would be polite. Wouldn't due to scar away any potential allies, now would it?

"Its an invitation to a ball held by an old acquaintance of mine," Tom replied.

"A ball?" questioned the boy as his eyes narrowed with suspicion at the same time as they gleamed with interest, "Who's the acquaintance?"

Tom debated showing him the invitation for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the situation, before finally handing over the invitation to the boy. He would take the risk, and then hopefully reap the rewards. The boy read it over and as he did so, his eyes went wide, especially so when he read who signed off the invitation at the bottom. The boy took a quick glance around them, before smiling back at Tom and handing the letter back.

"My name is Malfoy. Abraxas Malfoy. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I do hope that we can be good friends," the boy keep smiling at him as he held out his hand for Tom to shake, all the while holding a strange glint within his eyes.

Tom tilted his head a bit to one side, then smiled his first genuine smile since being sorted and took Malfoy's hand.

"Tom Riddle. Likewise."

And to Tom, that was the beginning of everything.

He just knew it.

.

.

.

Horace Slughorn was the Head of House for Slytherin. It was also Horace Slughorn that Tom Riddle went to in order to get to the ball.

"Professor?"

"Hm?" Slughorn turned around to face the young first year from where he stood in front of the bookcases in his office. Tom stood at the doorway, the letter that he had received earlier that day clutched in his hand.

"I got an invitation to a ball and I'm afraid that I have no way to go to it. I was told that you might be able to help me?" Tom kept his eyes wide and his head tilted back just a bit back. It made him look innocent, he knew, and had fooled many people before.

"An invitation, eh? Well let me see, my boy! I'm certain I'm be able to help!" Slughorn came over and took the invitation from Tom's outstretched hand. He read it over and paled as he did.

"My, oh my..." He mumbled before turning to look at Tom, a rather subdued look on his face, "W-wha- no no... _How_ did you come to be acquainted with Hadrian, King of the Vampires of all people?"

Tom put on an innocently confused look, he sensed an opportunity to dig for information on his mystery. For even after 5 years, that's still what Hadrian was. His Mystery, one for him to solve. That hadn't changed, not even once, since the day that Tom had first seen Hadrian hovering outside his window.

"I met him, Sir, 5 years ago. He's the one who first told me about magic, Sir. But I only ever met him once."

Slughorn stared at Tom for a moment, his eyes wide and skin still pale, "Me oh my... You poor boy..."

Tom resisted the urge to scowl and kept up his confused boy facade, "Professor... Might I ask why you are so worried? Should I be scared?"

"I'm worried because Hadrian, Holder of the Crown of the First is not a person you want to attract the attention of. He's a Vampire, a very very old one. Oldest one on English record, and no one's entirely sure exactly how old, only that he's well over a thousand. He's known for two things. His power and his whims. He's a person that no one can control, and a wild card all on his own. Very strong magic too, and he had perfect control over it. I daresay that no one alive would be able to match him in strength. You'd better hope that his attention to you doesn't turn sour, because then I don't think you'd live to see sunrise," Slughorn's voice had gotten rather high at the end of his speech, and Tom could barely contain his interest. He had attracted the attention of such a person? _Why?_

The question rolled around his mind and for a split second the sheer excitement he felt showed on his face. He was lucky that Slughorn missed the look, because it was a face of madness. Tom was chasing after madness to go after Hadrian, and he welcomed it in such a world as the one that he lived in.

_How interesting... _He thought, _How utterly wonderful..._

"Professor, if you don't mind I'd still like to go to the ball. At the very least to see him once more. I have some questions that I want answered, and only he would be able to answer them."

"The ball? Are you certain?" Slughorn asked.

Tom nodded, "Yes. I'm certain."

Slughorn's lips tugged down into a frown, but he nodded anyways, "Then come to me on the day of the Ball. I shall arrange transportation."

"Thank you very much, Professor."

Tom smiled at the portly man then took his letter and left the office. He couldn't wait for December 21st to arrive.

**AN: I'm Back! Here is the next chapter of this story. I just wanted to take a brief moment to thank everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews. You guys are the people that keep me writing. Anyways, tell me what you think in a review. See you next chapter!**


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